Defining Who You Are - By Nathalie Garino, Deputy General Manager for INFINITI and Renault of Arabian Automobiles Company

“What do you do?” This question gets thrown at you more often than you realize. The answer is unsurprisingly the same – your job title. You tend to define yourself by the title that you hold – teacher, doctor, trainer, lawyer, and so on. However, I personally have a different opinion about what is ‘do’. I believe your job titles do not define you.

– Yes, they give you a purpose and are reflective of your professional choices – but they are not all that you are.

In my capacity at my job, I am someone who is passionate about work, one who empathizes with customers, and understands that the world of marketing speaks a unique language.

– A language that I have mastered with years of experience at my job every day. So, does that completely define me? Absolutely not. I am a result of my struggles, my ambitions, my successes and defeats, my resilience, and my response to challenges. Throughout my career, I’ve seen many ups and downs and weathered a few storms. Those were the times that felt like the end of the world. But such situations also give you the power to rise above your comfort zone and explore your potential. It has been through my struggles and such difficult times that I’ve learned to understand the nature of life and the challenges it brings forth. I have also devised methods of interacting and defeating these challenges and that is what defines what I am and what I do.

Every morning when I wake up, I ask myself – “Am I happy?” Anyone who can confidently say that they wake up excited for their job – is doing it right! They know how important inner peace is and how it keeps you at your creative best – at all times. This is the mantra of success and happiness. 

So, what have I achieved with this mantra so far? 

I’m a strong believer in personal causes. From ideating and leading on campaigns such as Movember to working on annual breast cancer awareness initiatives - I’m all about the people. The creation of such impactful campaigns and successful execution of them is what I count as my achievements. Although as a team we’ve achieved so much, but my greatest accomplishments have been catering relentlessly to my customers. Our annual health initiatives for example are driven by our people and I truly believe that my earned treasures at Arabian Automobiles are my relationships.

Being a woman in the world of automobiles has given me immense opportunities to define myself. This International women’s Day, I would like to urge all the women out there to create their own definitions. It is about time we understand what we want to achieve, upskill accordingly, and take the challenges heads on without fearing failures. It is important you talk about your successes - the world needs to know. 

Your story might act as a spark of inspiration in someone else’s life.